Last Weekend

Last Saturday we headed for Winchester, to a favourite little jewellery shop of mine.  My Husband was there to buy a gift for me ready for our anniversary.  Unfortunately the item I had chosen was out of stock, but they have ordered it for me.  While we were there we had a nosey around the shops and fortified ourselves with a pasty for lunch.

Afterwards we visited Winchester City Mill.

At the weekends they still make flour here and the mill was working when we visited.

My Husband playing at being a miller in the children's area! :)

In the garden, at the back of the mill, we made friends with this pussy cat.

In the cage is an injured hedgehog that has been rescued.  The cat was interested in making friends with him!  There are other nighttime visitors to the mill - otters are frequently here too.

Next we walked beside the River Itchen, past the remains of the old city wall and the only visible piece of Roman wall, built in the third century AD.  We passed the college and the house where Jane Austin died, 

before going into the Cathedral Close.

Dean Garnier's Garden, on the site of the monk's dormitory; part of the medieval Priory of St Swithun that once stood here.

Sunday my Husband uttered those words again!  Something about good weather and making the most of it! :)  So off we went.  This time I chose Basildon House and Park.

 First we ate a picnic in the gardens.

 Then we went on the 3 mile walk around the boundary of the parkland.  It turned out quite hot!

Autumn's bounty was on show at every turn - toadstools, berries and nuts.

 He just couldn't resist climbing it!

After our walk we looked inside the house.

 Wow, the interior was beautiful!  This Georgian mansion was derelict until the 1950's when it was restored to its former glory.  Pride and Prejudice was filmed here in 2005, Marie-Antoinette in 2006, Dorian Gray in 2009 and the dining-room was recently used for filming an upcoming episode of Downton Abbey.

 The upstairs bedrooms

 The little sewing machine is The Abigail - so called because ladies' maids were often named Abigail by their employers and this was the machine that they used to mend the clothes of the lady of the house.

 The Shell Room

 Back downstairs to the 1950's kitchen and the garden room.

 Outside we peeked into the laundry room and the gardener's sitting room,

 before leaving for home.